DANVILLE — The Danville City Council Tuesday night came to an agreement on an issue that several aldermen said they’d received more phone calls on than taxes — continuing the yard waste collection program.

Also, aldermen were surprised to see Mayor Scott Eisenhauer had taken away a proposed utility tax as part of the city’s proposed tax levy/budget.

Aldermen unanimously voted, with Ward 3 Alderman Dale Brandenburg absent, to go to a bi-weekly yard waste collection program starting next year, which also will include some increased fees.

At next month’s public works committee meeting, aldermen will further look at local recycling options.

The city council approved establishing new yard waste program fees which include increased mulch and compost costs and the annual toter sticker fee increasing from $10 to $20.

The increased fees reach the city’s goal of about 50 percent coverage of the program. The $134,290 balance (of the approximately $252,000 annual program cost) would be covered by the current monthly garbage fee (about $1 per month per customer).

The program would go to bi-weekly during most of the year, except for a few weeks in the spring and fall during heavier collection times, and go to an automated truck and toter system. Only during the heavier peak periods in the spring and fall would bags be allowed.

The city will no longer be selling bags once its supply runs out.

Ward 5 Alderman Jerry Askren said residents will find a way to work out their yard maintenance to coincide with the every other week pick-ups.

In other business, aldermen approved placing the city’s 2009 tax levy on public display until final action on Dec. 15.

The property tax levy would increase about 4.63 percent.

“It’s exclusively due to the police and fire pension increases,” Eisenhauer said of the levy increase.

Also proposed: a 1 percent sales tax increase; increase in the rental registration fee from $10 to $20 with a possible $2,000 cap or no cap; reduce food and beverage tax from 2 percent to 1 percent; reduce budget by $420,000 through administrative cuts (this takes the place of a previously proposed 2 percent utility tax on natural gas and water); and $35 per month contribution toward health insurance for non-union single employees with no dependents.

The proposal earmarks general fund reserve and infrastructure fund monies over three years.

Eisenhauer said he didn’t receive pressure from businesses and Vermilion Advantage to remove the proposed utility tax. He knew he didn’t have enough aldermen support.

Ward 2 Alderman Rick Strebing, however, hates to see the utility tax taken away.

But Eisenhauer said it could still be brought up a year or more from now to abate property tax increases due to the police and fire pensions and lower the property tax rate.

Prior to the mayor’s new proposed tax levy, residents voiced support over the “fairest” utility tax, and another asked aldermen to really look at the status of the city’s struggling residents.

Also Tuesday, the council:

-- Voted down a new two-year fire command contract with a vote of 6-7 that covers three assistant fire chiefs and four captains. It now goes back to the bargaining table, and likely will go to arbitration.

Aldermen voting for the contract were: Jon Cooper, Mike Puhr, Sharon McMahon, Lois Cooper, Terry Baldwin and Rick Strebing.

Strebing said he didn’t have a problem with the contract.

It was retroactive to May 1 and included 3.5 percent salary increases each year; clarification of on-duty personnel and provision of four Kelly Days to reduce overtime; and $15 monthly insurance increases each year.

Even though he knows the firefighters are hard-working and worthy, Ward 1 Alderman Rickey Williams Jr. felt there were not enough concessions to warrant 3.5 percent salary increases.

“It’s unfair to other employees,” he said, adding that it’s also unfair when the city’s looking at more cuts.

-- Approved an 8 percent increase in some Harrison Park Golf Course fees.

-- Approved selling public works vehicles and equipment on eBay.

-- Approved additional abatement work costing $12,876 for the former AT&T; building.